I have a rust problem around the fender well of my 59 buick. I have made a patch panel for it. I can't get to the back side to hammer and dolly. Do I over lap the existing metal and weld or cut to fit? It has an inner fender tub that keeps me from getting to the back side. thanks TP
Ok, if you do it with a flame ,what type of filler wire should you use? I have a mig , I'm just asking.
Thats what I;ve got now. I've been told that it's too brittle though. I'm taking my time and skipping around so it doesn't warp. Lucky so far. Guess I'mm on the right track. Thanks TP
migs are good for taking stuff, they are terrable for running a beed on sheet metal.... all the luck to you though. theres always gas welding and fiberglass=P
No doubt...I went to wyotech and the rat bastards had us run 4" straight beads on 18 or 20(cant remember) guage metal, it was a whore...hell ICAR makes you do like a 1" bead for their tests
LOL you're giving me flashbacks! I just finished Collision and those 4" beads on 20 gauge were a pain, especially with all the heat and probability of warpage. The good thing is, if you can do it on the comps on 20 gauge then the I-CAR test, on 18 gauge with the good welders, is a piece of cake. Anyway, TP, it sounds like you're on the right track. I'd use .025 on sheetmetal but .030's just fine too as long as the metal's still thick where you're welding. Hank
I like to flange the overlap. If you do so you can also cleico the panels together to hold it for welding. Works great. Weld 1/2" to 1" depending on the sheetmetal (thickness & contour) & skip about 1', & keep doing that untill it's a solid weld. If you still have a problem with warping you can cool it with a wet rag. ~ Paul aka "Tha Driver" You braggin' or complainin'?
If you butt weld it make sure to leave a gap about the thickness of your wire around the piece so you get good penetration.
I'm nowhere near a "body man", but I haven't had much trouble with a MIG on basic sheetmetal work.... I actually think it's easier than heavy-duty shit.... Just take it easy and stitch about 1/2" or less at a time... Let it cool while you weld somewhere else... According to one of the metal gods on here, you should be able to have your bare hand about 3" from a weld at all times without getting burnt, if that gives you an idea what I mean when I say "S-L-O-W".... If you have one of those tools that can put a "recess" on the patch to allow you to lap weld it in at surface level, that might be your best bet with a MIG..... Hope this helps....
When you lap a joint it seems like that would be a very good place for moisture to form and start to bubble again. I'm asking questions because I have done it both ways. Flanging and lap the metal is the easiest . I welded a small piece in tonight and butt welded it. I may flange the larger one tomorrow. TP
Hey, Ya asked about gas welding......don't laff, but in a pinch I've used the parent metal (strips cut from an LNK fender 1/16" wide), ground clean on both sides. When ya shop for real gas welding rod look for about the same o.d. as the gage of the panel you're weldin. Once ya get this welded up what are ya going to do about rust proofin the repair. Repairs in the pinch weld and wheel house areas of vehicles will rust fast, from behind, if not rust proofed.
I'm not an expert here, but a fellow hobbiest..and I've had good luck with this method... I bought the first Lincoln SP100 that went for sale in my hometown in 1988... and C-25 gas...co2 and argon for a clean weld... I use the easy grind .023 welding wire...and space the panel apart....so there is a gap....to fill with wled. You make up your panel and leave a series of "tabs" to keep the panel from falling into the "hole" you made....and using a galvaneal type steel...(I worked in the tool and die trade for years, so this stuff was free to take home...) tack it in place....cut the tabs off with a die grinder and a zip cut wheel.... I use this welding technique to keep the warps and the need for filler to a minimum..and keep in mind that MIG welds aren't very mallable...they crack and break... I still use hammer welding techniques when I can with oxy-acetylene...learned that back when I was a kid out of the pages of Rod and Custom Mag.... Make a good tack...weld into this tack....make another tack nect to the other tack... skip around...cool witha blast of compressed air to get the heat out....I used to use water too, but now probably won't do that now that I found air to work well... skip around, take your time....don't let the metal get hot if you can help it.... weld until the tacks become beads of weld material.... Grinding the welds can put as much heat into the patch to make warps as the welding process....I learned from reading Professor Hammer...Ron Covell..that grinding the tops of the welds with a cut off wheel in a die grinder keeps the heat to a minimum....I finish off with a small disc...2'..in my grinder.... take your time, keep the welds short and sweet...don;t be afraid to grab a junk fender, cut a piece out of it and make a filler patch to experiment with, and get the settings on your machine fine tuned before you fix the crown jewels... I never did use any of the Eastwood "Weld-thru" primer, but this is something I will use when I do the same basic repair on my dad's bought new in 80 1979 F100 pickup..my 12 year old son wants to get her back on the road..and rust is a problem here in snowy Michigan...
, Once ya get this welded up what are ya going to do about rust proofin the repair. Repairs in the pinch weld and wheel house areas of vehicles will rust fast, from behind, if not rust proofed.[/QUOTE] I opened up the pinch welds the best I could from the back side. Sprayed the metal clean that came with the por-15 the best I could. i went to the front where I had cut the rotted piece out and sprayed both whays there also. Por-15 the best I could and put some in a syringe and squirted as far both directions as I could. I May even drill small holes at the top of the inner fender wells on the back and put por-15 in there. it will be easy to re-seal up that high without getting any b.s. back in it. I'm going to put a skim coat of dura-glass over the final welded patch and then do my body work. I figure it lasted nearly 50 years the first time ,so it won't matter to me 50 later. I'll let someone else deal with it. TP
dont use on anything that will show, after paint it will bubble up alittle bit every where you used it
I had my doubts and wasn't going to do it.{not traditional-hah} I have never heard of the stuff. I am not in the body business either. He says they glue on complete quarter panels. Is that right?
yeah that is what it is made for or bedsides but all of it is in the jamb or un seen, you should not use it on half 1/4's or anything but when you replace some newer factory ones and most everyting is hidden
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